This invention relates to a poker card game played with conventional playing cards, i.e. a single deck of cards that includes four suits (spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds) totaling fifty two cards per deck. The invention concerns the manner in which the cards are dealt to the players, and the way in which the players use the cards to form a winning poker hand.
There is in existence a poker card game known as Texas Hold Em. The game is played so that each player has the use of seven cards in order to form a five card poker hand. The player having the highest poker hand is the game winner. Hands are ranked in standard poker fashion, i.e. royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card, in descending order.
In Texas Hold Em each player receives two cards face down. Additionally, there are five community cards dealt face up. The term xe2x80x9ccommunity cardxe2x80x9d refers to a card that is exposed (face up) and available for use by any of the players in order to form a poker hand. Each player is enabled to use seven cards (i.e. the two concealed cards that he holds, plus the five community cards that are available to each player).
In Texas Hold Em the cards are dealt sequentially so that each player initially receives his two cards face down, after which the five community cards are dealt face up. Rounds of betting occur at certain times during the course of the deal, usually after the two face down cards have been dealt, then after the third community card has been dealt, then after the fourth community card has been dealt, and finally after the fifth community card has been dealt. Thus, there are four rounds of betting (in addition to an ante prior to the cards being dealt.
One problem with Texas Hold Em is that the winning hand is usually a low value poker hand, typically two pair when there are five players. Should one player have a high hand at an early stage in the deal (e.g., after five cards have been dealt) he can bet very high to force the other players out of the game.
Another problem with Texas Hold Em is that each player has to guess only two cards for each opponent, i.e., the two concealed cards held by each player. One raise in the betting can often indicate that the person has a concealed pair, when the winning hand is most likely a low value poker hand, one raise will often drive the other players out of the game.
The present invention concerns a poker game that is in many respects similar to Texas Hold Em, but differs therefrom in that the game is designed to produce higher value winning hands. Typically the winning hand will be a straight or three of a kind when there are five players. This contrasts with two pair winning hand that is a common out-come in Texas Hold Em.
The game of the present invention involves the use of seven cards by each player to form a five card poker hand. In the deal, each player initially receives two cards face down. Then four community cards are dealt face up (each player has the use of these community cards). Lastly, each player receives a third card face down.
Betting occurs during the course of the deal, e.g. a first round of betting after the players have received their two face down cards, a second round of betting after the third community card, a third round of betting after the fourth community card, and a final round of betting after each player has received his final (third) card.
In the present card game each player receives three cards face down, rather than two cards as in Texas Hold Em. In the present game there are four community cards, rather than five community cards as in Texas Hold Em. These differences tend to produce higher winning hands so that players tend to stay in each game for a longer period of time, usually until the last round of betting.
A principal feature of the invention is the employment of three hidden cards in each player""s hand, which makes it more difficult for the players to predict the winning hand. Every player has a winning chance, which makes the game more interesting.
Specific features of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and description of a way that the game is played according to the invention.